Belly Fat Can be Extremely Unhealthy!

Belly fat is more than just a nuisance that makes your clothes feel tight. Fat inside the belly area is both subcutaneous fat (under the skin surface) and visceral fat (gel-like fat that’s actually wrapped around major organs, including the liver, pancreas and kidneys.). An excess amount of visceral fat is seriously harmful. Recent data indicates that too much visceral fat can interfere with how your liver functions and interrupt normal hormonal communications between your vital organs. This can lead to insulin resistance (the beginning of diabetes), high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and a higher risk for developing heart disease. High visceral fat storage has also been linked to breast cancer, colorectal cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

While many health organizations use the BMI (body mass index) calculator to classify body weight to predict the risk factor of disease, the BMI is not an accurate measure of visceral fat. People with excess belly fat are at an increased risk, even if they look thin on the outside. So how do you know if you’re at risk? The only way to tell for sure that your problem is visceral fat is to have an MRI or CT-scan, which are expensive both and often not medically necessary. However, if you have a waistline greater than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, that’s an indicator that you are carrying too much belly fat, even if you’re a relatively healthy weight and generally in good health.

Although losing belly fat can be difficult, there are several things you can do to reduce excess abdominal fat.

Follow a Healthy, Balanced Nutrition Plan

Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables will fill you up and provide fiber and nutrients.

Work with a dietitian to design a nutrition plan for you that focuses on improving your health and helping you to lose weight. The American Diabetes Association suggests you limit your total daily fat intake to 20 to 30 percent of your total calories, keep saturated fat (animal fats, palm oils and processed snacks and desserts) to less than seven percent and try to eliminate harmful trans fats altogether. Your nutrition plan should contain lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, lean protein and complex carbohydrates such as beans, lentils and sprouted grains for energy and fiber. In addition, try cooking with olive, canola, peanut, safflower or sesame oils, as they contain monounsaturated fats, the “good fats” when used in moderation. You can also try healthy vegetable oils for cooking like coconut, sunflower, olive, avocado and grapeseed oils.

Increase the Amount and Intensity of Your Exercise

Moderate exercise most days of the week is the easiest way to stay active.

Try to exercise at least 30 minutes every day, which helps you burn calories. A weight loss of five to 10 percent of your total body weight can help reduce visceral fat stores. To achieve that, your daily caloric balance (calories consumed minus calories burned) needs to be negative. More specifically, in order to lose a pound a week, your calorie deficit must be 500 calories per day. That means you have to exercise. Try circuit training, brisk walking, biking or any activity that gets your heart rate up and you moving for an hour. Additionally, try incorporating some high-intensity interval training into your routine. A 2009 University of Virginia study found that this type of exercise total abdominal fat, including visceral and subcutaneous fat.

Stay Motivated and on Track

Social support can help you stick to your plan and achieve your weight-loss goal

Weight loss takes time. Don’t expect to lose weight overnight — you didn’t gain it overnight, after all. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, just a modest amount of weight loss will improve your visceral fat stores and other medical complications you have. Use that as motivation to stick with your eating and exercise program. Try tracking your meal and logging your progress in a journal or an app like Livestrong.com’s MyPlate Calorie Tracker. You can also reach out to supportive friends or family members and ask them to help encourage you on your weight-loss journey. Studies have shown that people who have someone to be accountable to are more likely to reach their goals.

Practice Healthy Lifestyle Habits

Practice deep breathing to help reduce your stress levels.

In order to improve your overall health, stop smoking, drinking, being inactive and eating high-fat, processed foods. Choosing healthier lifestyle choices will improve your quality of life and will show up in inches lost as stated in the Guidelines for Overweight and Obesity. Also make sure you get plenty of sleep and take time to destress. Researchers have found that the stress hormone, cortisol, significantly increases the storage of visceral fat. So do some deep breathing or yoga or take a bath or quick walk.